Page 16 of Fight For Her
Once the area cleared, we both finished our drinks and got up to join them. In the chaos, I hadn’t noticed that Shawn had sidled up next to Mia’s other side. Leaving the heartbreaker lingering at my left side, leaning far too casually on the bar with a smirk that told me he was oh so confident.
Good luck with that, buddy.
That smile may have gotten him to second base with me before, but now, he could consider my nether region Fort Knox. My panties, the world’s strongest chastity belt. My lips, for all intents and purposes, were sewn shut like a creepy version of Sally the ragdoll.
Coby Barnes could kiss my ass—metaphorically, of course.
Chapter 7
Coby
IhadafeelingKendahl would be pissed at me, and I deserved it, but damn. I wasn’t expecting the death glares she was shooting my way. Before this night went completely in the shitter, I had to figure out my game plan. I told Shawn and Mia that I’d leave her alone, but I knew they didn’t want an entire weekend of icy-cold tension either.
“Kendahl, hold up a second.”
Mia patted her shoulder and continued to the restaurant with Shawn, leaving Kendahl lingering behind.She hadn’t so much as turned her head in my direction, but she was waiting for me. That was something, right?
“How have you been?” I asked.
Seeing that I caught up beside her, she scoffed and continued walking. The silence between us only punctuated the jukebox tunes. Hints of her perfume floated my way, and I had to stop myself from leaning into her to get a closer whiff. If she wasn’t talking to me, she sure as shit wouldn’t want me sniffing her like a creep.Slipping my hands into my pockets, I followed close and tried again.
“I’ve missed you.”
She stopped abruptly and whipped her head in my direction. I almost knocked into her.
“Just stop.” Her hands reached out to put a physical barrier between our bodies. “Whatever it is you’re doing. I don’t want it or need it.” Her eyes blazed, icy blue and narrowed.
I took the opportunity of our closeness to take in her features, ivory skin with a few well-placed freckles, her dark lashes, and her kissable lips. After looking at her face every night in a photo, finally seeing her in person felt surreal.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something in my hair?” She fingered her long locks and brushed off invisible dust from her shoulders. My gaze followed her hands, taking in the slope of delicate neck, her black-lace cropped top was fitted against her chest leaving little to the imagination. That slice of skin at her middle made me want to splay my hands around her waist and hide those exposed bits from other eyes.
I cleared my throat, focusing on her face again. “What were you saying?”
“Oh my God. You were checking me out! Subtle much?” She quickened her pace, and her heels clicked against the distressed wooden floors.
She wasn’t wrong. I slipped my calm and cool mask back on and strode next to her into the noisy dining area.
“When you look like that, can you blame me?”
“Like what, exactly? This is how I always look.” Her tone was razor sharp, which caused me to stop in my tracks before we reached the mass of people.
I wrapped my hand around her arm, pulling her in close, so close I could smell the tequila on her breath. One inch closer and our lips would meet. It took all my restraint not to do just that. Instead, I whispered, “I want to sling you over my shoulder and take you upstairs so no one else gets to see you in that outfit.”
She yanked herself out of my grip and stalked toward the tables with her chest heaving and muttered under her breath, “You’re unbelievable. Hell would freeze over before I went upstairs with you.”
Mia stood from her seat as we reached the empty chairs she held for us.“Everything alright?” she asked tentatively, looking from Kendahl to me.
I pulled out Kendahl’s chair and waited for her to plop down, but she looked at me and rolled her eyes before shuffling a few seats to an empty chair near Avery and a woman I didn’t know.
“I take that as a no.” Mia sat back down and sipped her drink as she made eyes across the table at her best friend.
“I’m fine,” Kendahl said through gritted teeth. “I’m just going to sit over here next to my good buddy, Avery, and my new friend, Bethany.” Slinging her arm around a bewildered Avery, she flashed the rest of us a forced grin, and purposely shifted her gaze elsewhere.
I motioned to the server for another beer. While the rest of our table was busy placing their orders, Shawn leaned in, speaking low to suppress a chuckle. “Damn, you’re in the doghouse, huh?”
“I’d have to have been allowed inside the house first to get banished to the doghouse.”
He shook his head. “Well, you are Coby, notorious ladies’ man and breaker of hearts. I’m okay with whatever this is as long as they are,” he motioned to Kendahl and Mia. “But man, the second they tell me otherwise, you know I have to protect them, right?”
